Advanced network services are becoming increasingly available for the benefit of users of wireless handheld personal digital assistants, cellular telephones, and other mobile computing devices. In one approach, services for a particular subscriber are selected using a Service Selection Dashboard software element that communicates with a Service Selection Gateway software element. Using the Service Selection Dashboard, an administrator or technician selects one or more services and one or more service configuration parameters for a particular user. When service selection is complete, the Service Selection Dashboard transmits an information profile describing the selected services to the Service Selection Gateway, which notifies all other network elements that need to know about the subscriber and the selected services.
An example of this approach is found in the Service Selection Gateway product as implemented using the Cisco 6400 Access Concentrator of Cisco Systems, Inc. San Jose, Calif. The Cisco Service Selection Gateway (SSG) is a software module that works with the Cisco Internetworking Operating System (IOS®) and is executed by a network device, typically a high-end router. The SSG enables service providers to provide services such as videoconferencing, streaming video, personalized Internet, business-grade Internet, shopping, and gaming.
Although this approach is useful, it has limitations. For example, service subscription and other management functions are carried out with respect to individual users. However, users are often organized in logical groups, and there is a need to carry out service subscription for entire groups at one time. For example, there is a need to assign a default set of services to a group of users based on a specified subscription level. Group subscription is not available in current approaches.
Another problem of the prior approach is that service selection is not dynamic. If a user subscribes to a new service, it is not available unless the user logs in again. Internally, this is because a host object that represents the user's services is built once when the user is successfully authenticated at login, and is not updated thereafter until the user logs in again.
Still another problem is that user management is cumbersome. A service publisher cannot enable a group of users for a particular service. Service enablement is carried out on a user-by-user basis. There is no bulk administration of users.
Yet another problem is the lack of an authorization model. Any user can subscribe to any service. In order to provide differentiated services, an authorization model is essential.
Still a further problem is lack of a mechanism to create subordinate accounts. Subordinate account creation and management, as well as parental blocks, require an authorization system.
Based on the foregoing, there is a clear need for an improved service selection and management system that provides authentication functions and that can overcome the disadvantages set forth herein.